Department of Mysterious Objects
by SweetTale4u
Summary: It's after the war. A specialized department is formed to deal with the odd and strange objects still left over from the war. An unlikely team of investigators are called upon to save the day. Pairings: SS/HG, LM/LL, DM/HP
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is a labor of love for my girls at the SS/HG Newbies Fest on LiveJournal as well as for its recipient ArticCat621 (Her stories are a hoot, if you have not read them…go over there and show her some love.) The story is complete and the chapters will be posted over the course of the next few days so as to keep you in suspense. Show your love and drop a review if you enjoyed it. There will be smut, horror, humor and overall fun.**

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**CHAPTER ONE **

She couldn't concentrate.

She was going mad.

Mad with need, gods she was horny. It didn't help that she had about fifty requisition forms to fill out and no inclination or desire to get started. The only thing she wanted to start on was the row of buttons that would surely line the robes of the dour man she shared her office space with.

No one really knew this about Hermione Granger, but the reason she had studied so hard at school was because she was a scatter brain. The parchments marring her desk were a clear representation of her brain at the moment and most of the time that she was assigned one of these inane projects. Working for the ministry had been a logical step for her after the war. She had requested and been granted the ability to sit for her NEWTS just a few weeks after the war. There was no way she was going to lose all the information she had burned into her brain by wasting away at the Burrow or partying at Grimmauld Place. She also got her own place. The ministry decided that those that helped bring down the Dark Lord, namely Ronald, Harry, Severus and Hermione, be granted a very hefty stipend as well as the prerequisite Orders of Merlin medals. The medal made a great place to sit her coffee cup on her desk but the money was what interested Hermione. It allowed her to live on her own. There was no way she was going to spend another minute cooped up with the boys. Merlin knew she loved both of them but she was fed up with the smell of corn chips and feet. She couldn't understand how everyone expected her to marry Ron. When he heard this too the three burst into peals of laughter. As if she would marry someone she saw as a brother. It was just as ludicrous to think she would marry Harry. Not that they weren't cute and they had certainly grown into fine looking young men but once you have had to use your wand to blast away skid-marked underwear and cum covered socks to get out of a tent, any and all illusions of romance are quashed. In fact, besides Viktor and Cormac, she hadn't been with anyone else in the wizarding world and those two were just used for snogging practice and nothing more. Viktor had turned out to be very much asexual. She had kept his secret and they had remained very good friends. Cormac had tired of her refusing to give him anything more than the occasional blowjob but as gorgeous as he was, he was denser than dirt and Hermione just couldn't do it. She shuddered at the thought of him as her first so she had in fact lost her virginity to a muggle boy the summer before her sixth year. He had been her friend since primary school, before she received her letter to Hogwarts. They had remained in touch during holidays and letters he would send through her mother. Last Hermione had heard he was in medical school and dating a very nice girl. He was one of the few people that knew she was a witch which resulted in their relationship becoming a bit strained. However they had managed to work through it and remained friends. Their sexual exploits were merely experimental and done to achieve a purpose, to learn as much as they could about the act. She found it better this way, but since she hadn't been with anyone and now as she found her feelings growing deeper for Snape, she found her libido raging. The war didn't help; all the adrenaline had her going mad with need. A vibrator only helped so much.

The final battle ended much as it had been predicted with Harry defeating the Lord of all Suck and the school being almost completely destroyed which left little opportunity to return for another year of study. As if she would be crazy enough to return, after having lived on the road and the excitement of the battle she would be damned if she was stuck again in school robes and writing long winded parchments for little to no recognition, let alone money. She wasn't the brightest witch of her era for nothing and she knew being cooped up in a school teaching dunderheads would be a waste of her talents. She had seen what it had done to Snape and the other teachers, their lifeless eyes, their zombie-like walk, the children sucking the will to live as if miniature dementors. She shuddered at the thought. Maybe after she had tired of the world and all it had to offer would she maybe consider a career in academia.

She was working for the Department of Mysteries. It was a special division set up after the war. It required those in her department to start at the bottom. Cataloguing dark objects, conducting raids of former death eater front holds, overall it was a lot of grunt work. Of course her grunts were not the only ones that she had to listen to while on the job. After surviving the final battle thanks to none other than the combined efforts of one know-it-all and a semi-reformed Malfoy, Severus Snape had been recruited to help lead this particular division of the department. With his intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the death eaters he was the perfect person to handle what no one else wanted to do, well except Hermione. When the new minister had given her the option between this division and the records department she jumped at the chance of working with Snape. Fine maybe he wasn't the nicest person in the world but Hermione found niceness overrated. He was honest to a fault and his quick wit and sarcasm was a mirror of her own. His honesty and snark was a breath of fresh air. He was a constant and now more than ever she needed this. The fact that he had a phenomenal arse that she lovingly stared at from behind her piles of parchment didn't hurt either.

"I cannot believe that we are being sent all the way to Transylvania! Will we not get any rest this year?" Severus had stomped in a whirl of black robes. He worked at the bridge of his nose with the deliciously long fingers that Hermione had fantasized about one too many times.

At times Hermione thought he behaved much like a petulant child. His arrival at the office was honestly the best part of her day. He would remove his outer robes and leave only his white dress shirt, waist coat and trousers. The material of his trousers had a way of molding itself to every plane and ahem….bulge of his lithe form. He would pull down his waistcoat and adjust his cufflinks with a cocky swagger that had her forgetting most of what she was doing just to observe the ritual. Sure she knew many thought he was as ugly as sin but in her eyes he was a sexy beast. Sometimes she thought that he knew she was watching and wondering what his neck might taste like if she ran her tongue over it.

His robes weren't as threadbare as they had been at school and his shirts were always starched. He also looked more groomed than ever which let her to believe he was at least trying to look good for someone, she foolishly hoped it was for her. As childish as it sounded, she had never lost those butterflies that she developed the first moment she had heard him deliver his first years' potions speech. She had often bought herself to orgasm remembering him go on about bewitching the mind and ensnaring the senses. Alas, he only thought of her as an annoying swot that he had been saddled with as a sort of babysitter. There was no way of convincing him that she had chosen this particular assignment. He was suspicious that placing her in his department was the minister's idea of keeping tabs on him. There were still those that believed him to be somewhat an active participant in the Lord of Suck's army so they employed the method of keeping their enemies closer which is why the third member of their team was none other than Lucius Malfoy. Thankfully Malfoy was only being used in an adjunct capacity, most of the time it was just Hermione and Snape working together. Lucius would not be at the office daily or in the field with them as investigators. No Malfoy could stay in his lofty manor with his ponce peacocks and expensive wines. Snape only called on him when they were going on a raid of a place that still showed strong signatures of dark magic being used. What many didn't know was that Lucius was an excellent duelist. His rapid fire wand work was second only to Snape. Hermione remembered a time they had been surrounded by a band of dark wizards on the outskirts of Bulgaria while trying to recover a sacred skull. Malfoy and Snape had taken down ten assailants it was a fantastic sight to see. They worked in perfect unison, so much strength and power, long fluid limbs and sweaty brows, hair flowing and taut muscles flexed. The display left Hermione breathing heavily and in need of a shower and a cigarette (and she didn't even smoke!). She blushed at the memory and put her head down again attempting to finish whatever she was doing before getting lost in images of finely sculpted arses, wet knickers and softly simmering cauldrons.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO **

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'I swear the witch pays me no attention, no matter how intense I make my entrances she remains the bookish swot I always knew.' Severus thought as he arranged the requisition forms on his desk and stole at glance over at the witch in question. He often had these internal debates to no avail, since he wasn't doing anything to encourage her attention. It was as if he ignored her he might also ignore the ever present and growing attraction to aforementioned witch.

After that bitch Nagini had almost torn out his throat, the last person he expected to come to his aide was Hermione Granger, the fact she was pulling Lucius along with her left little to be desired. He half expected them to finish off the job especially after everything he had kept from them in the service of the Order and the Lord of Suck. Even after he had gone to the girl with Lucius and given her his memories, he wasn't sure the two of them would follow through on his plan. She had promised she would help. He was reluctant to believe her.

He had been proven wrong and he was infinitely happy for having been done so.

Hermione and Lucius had worked in perfect harmony, putting aside their differences to help him. They healed his wounds, filled him with potions and whisked the three of them to safety via portkey to the home of Hermione's parents. Her parents had taken off to the States and had left the house to Hermione. Once they knew what was happening with the Lord of Suck they decided on an early retirement. As for Lucius, Narcissa had decided long before the end of the war to leave Lucius. They had been separated for years and sharing just a living space while they waited for the bitter end that would surely befall them both. The split had been amicable; a prearranged marriage between pure-bloods was common. Narcissa had always been of the other persuasion so this allowed her to go off and be with the one she really wanted to be with. Last Severus had heard she was living with Septima Vector somewhere in the Caribbean.

Seeing his friend unhappy and alone, Severus had confided in Lucius that he knew the Lord of Suck would lose. He owed his friend of years the truth. He told him of his deal with Dumbledore, about the Horcruxes and offered him a way out; it was the only way to save Draco and his family. It took some convincing on Severus' part but as soon as Severus mentioned Draco it was enough for the devoted father to join him. Narcissa had also known and her brilliant acting convinced her mad as a hatter sister that Severus remained loyal as ever.

Severus had it on good authority that they would be victorious but it was not on faith alone. The Lovegood girl had during a detention in her fifth year revealed herself to be a seer. One moment she was talking about Nargles or some nonsense and in the next sentence she said they would win the war but it would most likely cost Severus his life. She didn't mince words and Severus was grateful that the odd girl had chosen to tell him in detail that he would be attacked by Nagini but it would have to be that way in order to win the war. Lovegood had also said that the lioness of the trio would be integral to his survival. He had kept this secret from everyone, even Dumbledore. When it was time he confided in Lucius and together they met with the Granger girl while she had been out in the Forest of Dean. It took full body bind, some fast talking and a portable pensive for the girl to finally believe the two men.

Now here they were all working together and at any other time he wouldn't have cared if she even looked twice at him, however now it was different. He actually would have preferred it if she wouldn't even cross paths with him but ever since that day at her parent's house he has not been able to get her out of his mind.

During his convalescence they stayed at her parent's house watching over him. For a couple of weeks he was in and out of fits of delirium and he would overhear her and Lucius talking. He imagined them fornicating and savoring in his agony. It was all imagined but it bought to light a repressed feeling of longing. When he had first approached her in the forest to confess his secret he had noticed the young Gryffindor had changed. No longer a scrawny buck tooth child, she was like a Valkyrie, her passion was all consuming. He knew right then he might be a bit smitten with the witch. In the time he hadn't seen her after Dumbledore's death she had grown into a voluptuous woman and he found it hard to control his growing attraction whenever her hand would brush his brow to wipe the feverish sweat that would gather there as she cared for him. He was a dirty old man and he knew there was a special circle in hell reserved just for him, but the way her tits stretched her top midsummer had him welcoming the trip to that circle of hell with bells on.

On a particularly hot afternoon during his time at the Granger house he had wandered into the upstairs bathroom only to find it occupied the door slightly ajar. There behind the steamy glass of the shower was the silhouette of said Gryffindor princess. Her beautifully formed breasts and plump arse had his erection straining to break free of its confines. He didn't immediately leave, he watched as the soapy water ran over her curves, as her hands caressed her body and as they slowly made their way to the apex of her thighs. Severus thanked the gods for the steam in the small room. He watched in rapt attention as she leaned against the cold tile of the shower arching her back and stroking her glistening folds while she rolled and pinched the pert nipple on her left breast. Her back arched further and she moaned as she was lost in the sensations that her hands were causing in her gorgeous body. The hot air and the wanton display before him made it difficult to breath. Severus adjusted himself but as he did his hard cock sprang free from his boxers. Leaning back against the wall by the door he fisted his thick cock and quickly pumped his hand twice spreading the precum along his hardened shaft. The sensation sent fire through his veins; he had deprived himself for so long. He watched as Hermione pushed her fingers deeper and faster into her cunt, her head thrown back in ecstasy. His hand worked in tandem with hers as he stroked his shaft harder imagining he was causing her moans, feeling her wetness spread over his cock.

Severus knew he should leave, he should run back to his room and finish alone as depraved old men usually do. He found he couldn't move he was riveted to the spot by the goddess just a few feet from him. He found he couldn't resist and didn't care to as he continued to stroke his cock, matching her rhythm with her fingers as they disappeared into her luscious quim. It didn't take long as Severus began to feel his balls tighten as he watched this magnificent water nymph pleasure herself. As he felt the last vestiges of his control fade away and his orgasm was nearing, the next words out of her mouth were his undoing.

"_Yes, yes Professor…mmmm_."

Her words tore the orgasm from his very core. Stumbling from the room, his thoughts were in a jumble as he tried to regain his composure. He wondered if she had seen him but ignored the thought; Granger wasn't the type of girl to masturbate to an audience.

_She wasn't right?_

Since that summer day, he had not been able to think of her any other way. He had imagined the ways he would take her against the desk in their shared office. How he could bend her over the back potions worktable and feast from her quim on his knees like a sinner at church, her cunt sacrosanct holding the secret of his redemption.

He was going mad.

And it was all her fault.

He needed to get laid.

Yes that was it. Too many years of celibacy, too many _crucios_, yeah that was it; he was somehow damaged from the battle. It had to be it; he couldn't be lusting after this girl-no this woman, half his age.

Fuck it, he didn't care, he would welcome the madness with tea and biscuits if he could only bury his cock deep in her cunt while wrapping his fingers into her long curls and fucking her into oblivion.

It didn't help that they worked so close together. They were on the road most of the time but when they were grounded, they needed to research and work in the tight confines of the ministry dungeons. He hated the dungeons. There was no wonder he couldn't keep his hair from looking like he dunked it in muggle motor oil. The fumes and humidity in the dungeons were a menace and Granger could attest to that. Her constant battle with her hair was legendary although she had seemed to tame it thanks to some handy charm work from a former classmate Miss Brown. Severus looked over at her; she looked lovely biting on the end of her quill, her fingers running along the text in search of gods knew what. Such focus and concentration, he wished he was the one at the heart of her study; to have all that attention on him would be a heady thing.


	3. Chapter 3

**HPOV**

She wondered what he was thinking about.

She sat there pretending to read, gods knew she had read the same line about twenty times as she watched him from beneath the long glossy curls that framed her face. She thanked Lavender Brown every day that she taught her a charm that a great aunt had taught her for frizzy hair. Lavender's great aunt on her mother's cousin's side Richeau was a talented hair witch, so when she saw Lavender with Hermione in Diagon Alley one day she immediately saw that Hermione was in desperate need. For years her hair had defined her, she had been teased and ridiculed and frankly she was about a day from cutting it all off. Thankfully she had managed to rein it in and ever since she thought she looked nice. If only she could get him to notice her for more than just the work they did together. She thought that after that day over the summer at the house he might have realized she had feelings for him. Her little show in the shower had been for his eyes only. She knew he had been there the moment he stepped into the bathroom. She played out the fantasy as she had dreamed it hundreds of times before. What she hadn't expected was for him to stroke himself while watching her. It had pained her to keep her eyes partially shut. She had wanted to open her eyes, to see the passion in his eyes as he bought himself to orgasm watching her touch herself. She had been afraid, not afraid for herself, but for him.

Everyone thought that Severus was a big bad monster but she knew he was vulnerable. He was a man that had been hurt and used his whole life, much like an abused and battered animal, ready to strike. She knew she had to take things slow, even this tentative friendship was a big leap for him so she didn't want to ruin it by expressing her true feelings.

"Why are we being sent to Transylvania?" She finally gave up on pretending to read and walked over to his desk. She picked up a piece of his half eaten biscuit and popped it into her mouth almost daring him to say something.

"You know witch if you want breakfast all you need to do is say so and I will procure you some on my way in."

"I never have breakfast."

"That's not true, you never have your own breakfast, you will however gladly partake in mine whether I want you to or not." He crossed his arms for emphasis as he leaned up against his desk, his long legs out before him.

"Don't be silly," she waved him off and turned to peruse the parchments he had brought in with him.

"The dark mark has been spotted over a home in the north side of the city. They are requesting that we go out there and investigate the incident as well as dispose of any and all artifacts we find on or around the property. The local aurors have already been out there and have found nothing. I don't really trust that local office. It seems they have had a habit in the past of turning a blind eye."

"You don't mean?"

"Yes, it seems that the vampire population found it a safe haven for their less then…shall we say legal activities."

"You know there used to be a rumor at school that you were a vampire, but I knew it wasn't true." She couldn't keep the amusement from her voice as she saw his eyebrow shoot up.

"I had been aware of that rumor, what makes you such an expert in vampires, let alone know if I was one?"

"There was no way you could've been a vampire with that hair. They are also more fashionable." She hid her smile as she snatched the last biscuit on her desk and ran out to turn in her forms.

"Muggle movies woman!" He huffed in frustration before he continued, his face leaning in close "they are based on the imaginations of lonely, repressed and horny writers. I see no way any knowledge gained from them could ever help us."

"Did you floo Lucius?"

"Yes I did, after you left to the minister's office to file our requisitions. We need to leave soon. I am sure that blasted man has his house elf pressing his robes and packing up his matching valises before he can travel. I knew it was a bad idea to have him work with us."

"What about Luna? Is she going to join us as well?"

"Yes, I sent her an owl. She was out chasing some sort of mutant turtle in the States."

Luna had joined their ragtag team as soon as it became known that she was a powerful seer that received direct messages from the other side. She also was great company to have along. Hermione had enjoyed her conversations with the girl and she helped balance out the testosterone overload that was prevalent with the two Slytherins they worked with. They often had to pose as married couples to blend into the local community which is why it was best they travel in pairs. They had been on a few missions already and it seemed to be working well for them all.

One of the perks of their location within the ministry was the access to a private floo connection. It allowed them easy access to their respective abodes and also made communication secure regarding their missions. The floo activated and Lucius was the first to appear. His regal manner never ceased to amaze Hermione. She giggled at times just how fucking ridiculous he looked. He was a caricature of himself and he didn't even know it. She smiled at the smirk on Severus's face and his eye roll at the dramatic entrance that his friend always made.

As Lucius stood he cleaned the almost invisible specks of ash from his robes. He turned and strode to Hermione. Taking her hand he placed a lingering kiss on her knuckles.

"Miss Granger, how very good to see you so soon again," Lucius had a knack of making everything he said sound full of innuendo. While his voice was not the velvety goodness that was Severus', his mouth on his hand definitely sent spikes of desire to her very neglected lady parts. If she didn't know that Luna fancied the pants off Lucius, she would definitely take him to task about seeing to her neglected parts and real soon. Lord knows Severus might not ever make a move. If watching her masturbate in the shower didn't get him moving, she didn't know what she had to do to make him grab her and take her up against the wall hard and fast. The thought wasn't completely formed in her mind when she heard Severus choke. He began coughing and turning red.

"Are you alright man?" Lucius moved quickly and patted Severus on the back.

Holding up his hand to stop the assault on his body, Severus started to breath normally. With his coughing fit under control he shot a glare at Hermione. She wondered for half a second if he had peeked in her mind at the very moment she thought of being ravaged by him. The flush on his cheeks seemed to confirm her suspicion. She smiled wickedly and licked her lips at the thought. If only he would do more than just peek, then maybe they could get the show on the road.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR **

'_This is what happens when I employ a little legilimency on my coworkers. I get images of me ravaging them against the wall of this very room. Never mind that in that fantasy Hermione hadn't even bothered to tell Lucius and Luna to leave. Hell she didn't even mind when the minister had come in to drop off some missives in person._'

The smile and lick of her lips let him know that she might have suspected him of looking over her thoughts albeit briefly. However brief it had been had made him choke on the last bit of tea in his cup, luckily for him he didn't have any biscuits left or else he'd probably be dead.

"So nice to see you all here," Luna greeted them all warmly upon exiting the floo. She had bought them all small trinkets from her trip to the States. New York she said had been very interesting, it seems lots of people get their shoes taken and hung on muggle telephone wires.

"Muggle what?" Lucius seemed to be confused but Severus told him he would explain on the way.

"Let's go," Hermione pulled Luna towards the portkey that had been dropped off earlier. The tug was quick and so was their arrival, the problem was they weren't alone.

And they weren't in Transylvania.

"Put your hands up!" A man with a large shotgun shouted at them as they all dropped the portkey and raised their hands.

"Sir, what's going on here?" Hermione spoke first; it seemed they had somehow seriously miscalculated where they were to arrive. This man pointing a gun sounded American, and he was definitely not a wizard.

"Shut up bitch, now put your hands up!"

Hermione could see both Severus and Lucius stiffen at the man's insult and with a quick movement both men had unsheathed their wands only to find that they were unable to do magic.

"Nice try assholes, but we're prepared for you. Now you see this here shotgun? It doesn't need magic to work but that doesn't make it any less effective. Toss your wands over here, real slow like and turn around."

After tossing their wands to the foot of the man brandishing the weapon they turned and faced what looked like an old farm house.

"Move!" The man pushed Severus with the butt of his shotgun and they began to walk towards the dilapidated structure.

When they entered the building they noticed that it had been glamoured to look disheveled only on the outside. Inside wall sconces and wall tapestry lined the walls of the small room they were escorted into. A large ornate desk and bookshelf filled up most of the small space. A retch inducing smell of mold and decay permeated the air. Hermione found it difficult to keep her eyes from watering. Looking around to her companions she found she wasn't alone as Luna was also fighting the urge to be sick.

"Well aren't you a pretty one?" The repulsive man was circling them and directed his question to Lucius. He stroked the blond wizard's hair and leaned in to whisper "I hope they let me play with you my pretty."

"That will be enough Frank, get back to patrolling the grounds!" A very smooth and British voice spoke drawing their attention to the door opposite from the one they had entered. The light from behind the figure obscured his face but as he walked into the room the smell that first greeted them when they entered the small room became stronger and more overpowering. Hermione coughed and held her hand to her mouth and nose to try and keep from being sick all over the carpeted floor.

"Where are my manners?" The figure, still shrouded in shadow spoke as he flicked his wand and the air in the room became more tolerable giving them a momentary reprieve.

"Who are you? What do you want with us?" The words tumbled out of Hermione's mouth without a thought. She caught the glare from Severus, he wasn't happy she had spoken but at this moment she couldn't care less. This room smelled like death and she didn't have her wand, hell none of them except their captor had one and she was damned if she would play the damsel in distress.

With another flick of his wand the lights in the room became brighter and the man stepped into the light.

"Barty Crouch Jr, how is it that you're here?" Lucius was the first to speak.

"Now, now, come now Lucius, is that anyway to treat a fellow brother?" Barty asked with a hint of sarcasm and veiled amusement in his voice.

"What do you want from us?" Severus asked. His face remained stoic as ever as if not bothered by the presence of someone thought to be long dead.

"You always were all business weren't you Snape?" The disdain Crotch had for Severus was palpable.

When Barty finally moved to stand directly in front of them, Hermione gasped. She could hear Luna's heavy breathing from next to her as she grasped her hand. Gone were the handsome features she had seen in photographs after his capture, replaced with a new visage that was grotesque and utterly inhuman. Grey skin stretched taut over a face frozen in what looked like a scream of terror.

"Oh don't be alarmed, you see while the two of you claimed to be Death Eaters, I am the only one that actually embraced the true meaning of that moniker. As you can see there are certain drawbacks."

It was then that Hermione felt it, the cold fear and dread that she had only felt on a couple of occasions before, the desolation that came with the nearness of a dementor. She struggled to stay on her feet; she felt Severus' hand on elbow to steady her. Hermione watched as Lucius mimicked Severus motions in an effort to keep Luna from falling as well.

"What's this, genuine affection for a mudblood and a raving lunatic?" Barty began to pace the room, circling around the four figures that huddled closer in an effort to strengthen their resolve and will. The flashes of terror and cold were almost unbearable.

"What have you d-done Crouch?" Severus stuttered. Hermione could feel that he was barely managing to hold on. For someone with real horrors in their past the proximity of a dementor was truly a test of their resolve. While they could not see a dementor, they could certainly feel one. With no one able to cast a patronus, Hermione felt they would soon be beyond help.

"I can imagine that you can feel for yourself what I have accomplished. Something not even the Dark Lord was able to do."

"That's not possible," Hermione whimpered. She felt Severus pressed up against her side and knew he too was also struggling at the proximity of this aberration.

"That is where you are wrong Mudblood; anything is possible if you are willing to make the sacrifices necessary."

Hermione didn't hear what else he said because as he leaned in closer everything went black.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you all for reading. Wow the response to this little story has been great. I thank you all that took the time to drop me a review. You guys make writing these stories that much more fun. Big hugs and kisses all around. **

**BTW: That was a TMNT reference as to what Luna was searching for in NY. There will be other references to other popular shows etc. They're like little Easter eggs for those playing along at home. **

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**Chapter Five**

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"She's waking up…"

Hermione could hear the murmurs as she slowly opened her eyes. Her head ached and she was sore form lying on the floor. She felt a hand beneath her head as she slowly looked around the darkened room.

"What happened? Where are we now?"

"I think you can suffice what happened. Crouch is a walking talking Dementor! How was he able to do this Severus? Do you have any ideas?" Lucius sounded a bit panicked as he felt along the walls for a way out of the small room. Luna came over and helped Hermione sit on one of the four chairs in the confined space.

"I don't know Lucius. I have never heard of anything like this. Maybe some ancient magic we might not be that familiar with, Granger have you any idea?"

"There are some texts that referred to a convergence spell. It is very dark magic, requires blood sacrifices as well as gods no not that…he couldn't have."

"What? Don't hold back now Granger, spit it out!" Lucius was becoming desperate for the moment, his normally cool veneer was peeling and he was truly afraid.

"Lucius I am sure everything will be okay." Luna's cool voice seemed to calm the man momentarily, her light touch on his arm took his attention away from Hermione to Luna's and he sighed at her small smile.

"You're right, I apologize Miss Granger." Lucius bowed his head just slightly and moved away from Hermione and Severus and leaned up against the wall.

"There was a text in the ministry archives that covers obscure ancient dark magic from around the world and there was one interesting ceremony called the _Essencia de los Muertos. _Its origins are somewhere in South or Central America and it helps the caster capture the essence of the dead. However that would mean that he allowed the Dementor to do more than just begin the kiss. He must have allowed the Dementor to have his way with him sexually."

"So he got buggered by a Dementor? Is that what you're saying Granger?" Severus' face was twisted into a grimace of disgust.

"Yes but that's not all," Hermione was almost physically ill at the thought of what Barty did to accomplish this.

"What else is there Hermione?" Luna leaned in, curious as to what Hermione wasn't saying.

"During the consummation, Barty would speak the incantation binding the dementor to him but in order to sustain the two forms he must continually spill their combined seed in the vessels of the dead."

"So you're saying, dear Merlin…" Severus covered his mouth, his face pale and slightly green at the realization of what Barty was doing and what very well could be their fates.

"Necrophilia…the man has gone round the bend on a train with no brakes!" Lucius said as he turned to Severus who was still silent at the realization.

"That's not all; if the ritual fornication is with a witch or wizard it robs the victim of all remaining magic. If he kills them mid-coitus the magic transfer is even stronger, but the seed must spill once the person is dead. The longer the person is dead the more connected he becomes with the Dementor. Over time the two will become completely inseparable and he will in essence be a harbinger of death, a grim reaper if you're familiar with the legend."

"We need to get out of here," Severus spoke, his voice tinged with a hint of desperation, "the sooner the better!"

"I'm glad we are on the same page, now what do you suggest we do?"

"Our wands didn't work when we arrived but there is magic in the area, I can feel it, albeit it's weakened." Luna said as she walked over to sit next to Hermione.

"I noticed that as well. I know I don't have an inner eye or anything like that but you two must have felt it as well. It was like the air was dense. It was as if they were using an energy dampener. Muggles use them in certain scientific experiments, usually regarding kinetic energy. I think maybe Barty Jr. has used one to weaken the magical fields here much like they do in Azkaban."

"It would explain why we couldn't use our wands. If it's not a spell but in fact a muggle device, then maybe it might not be strong enough to hold all our combined magic," Severus was talking to them all. He figured they could give it a try, somehow concentrating their magical signatures together to somehow apparate at least outside the room, back to where they had arrived.

"We could try to apparate. Doing it without a wand takes very strong magic however if we pool our magic it should work."

"We have nothing to lose at this point. Once outside we can call the cavalry," Hermione said as she dug around in her pocket for the small galleon she had redesigned for their department. The protean charm she had designed for use during the war had been enhanced and its purpose now would be similar to a two way communicator and locator. All the user would have to do is whisper the words onto the coin and the message would appear on the coin of the intended receiver. Hermione had also added tracking charms and encoded it to notify the others if a holder was in distress or if their life signature was compromised. Hermione based the charm on the muggle vital signs monitor that is used in hospitals. She didn't know if the charm would have alerted Harry and Draco that they were in distress, but hopefully if they all managed to get out and as far away from this place they could call them to help them.

Harry and Draco worked for the Department of Law Enforcement; they had gotten closer after the war and to the surprise of no one with two eyes they had become lovers. One day over a couple of pints after work Draco had turned to Hermione and Snape and told them. All Snape said was "we know, now can you pass the crisps?"

Hermione simply nodded as she took another gulp of her beer. The news was not news at all, everyone knew these two would wind up together; some even had a pool going to see how long it would take. Thinking back, Hermione thought she heard Snape going on about having come into some money with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Now she only hoped that the coins they all carried had somehow alerted the duo to their distress.

"Come, let's link hands, that should work to connect us, and then we should attempt to use our bodies as if they were wands to apparate." Hermione said as she linked arms with Luna and Severus while Lucius linked his arms with Luna and Severus, forming a circle.

With a nod in all their directions the air around them began to vibrate. It felt differently than when they normally would apparate. The air hummed and swirled creating almost a vortex at the center of the circle. The vibration was sure to alert someone as to what was going on. No sooner had Hermione thought this that the door of the room opened. Turning only slightly Hermione saw the grotesque face of what looked like an Inferi ambling towards them. As it reached its decaying hands in their direction the din of the magic became too much and they were gone. The inferi left grasping at air.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX **

Landing with a thud the four found themselves once again outside. However they weren't alone for long. Still the middle of the night, the only light on the farm was that of the full moon. As Hermione gathered her bearings she turned to hear a growling noise from beyond the clearing. Leaving the farmhouse behind them they broke out into a sprint towards the fence that surrounded the property.

"Did you see the inferi?" Severus asked as he pulled Hermione along by her wrist not trusting the sounds he was hearing behind them.

"Yes, that's another thing I didn't mention. Those that are taken by Barty are left as inferi that he can control."

"This is a bloody nightmare!" Lucius could be heard yelling from behind them, Luna in tow.

"How are we supposed to deal with inferi without our wands?" Luna inquired as they slowed at the property line. Just over the fence there was a dirt road with nothing but darkness in either direction.

"I can feel the hum of our magic, can you?" Hermione struggled as she climbed the old wooden fence. Hermione could feel Severus' strong hands holding her waist to steady her and keep her from falling. Any other time she would have been elated to have feel those long fingers grasp her waist. Now however they were facing a hybrid Dementor and what was likely a swarm of inferi.

"I can feel the magic, Lucius and I can do wandless magic, but that will only help so much."

"Severus do you still carry your back up wand?" Lucius asked as he leaned against the fence struggling to catch his breath.

"Fuck me Lucius, how could you not have remembered while we were trying to apparate?" Severus dug into his boot and there in his leather holster was his backup wand. Lucius mimicked his action to produce his own wand. For a moment they looked smug comparing sizes but turned to the girls with a look of embarrassment.

"Are you two done?" Hermione was quick to try and hide the smile on her face as she turned to Luna who had dug the galleon from her small rucksack.

"Harry, Draco, we need help." Luna whispered on the surface of the smooth galleon. Within seconds the words disappeared into the surface.

Luna's coin warmed in her palm as Draco's words appeared.

_What's wrong, where are you-D_

"He's asking where we are, do any of you recognize where we are?"

Severus dug his coin from his pocket and rubbed its surface "Potter run a tracking charm to locate these coins and hurry."

Hermione had changed the arithmetic formulas to allow for remote tracking. They worked almost like electronic tracking devices except that they worked with an individual's magical energy.

_No need to be rude, give us a few minutes Snape-H_

"You know we will need to go back in there right?" Hermione turned to the four and spoke what she knew they didn't want to hear.

"I knew you were going to say that." Severus raked his hand through his long hair dislodging the leather strap he had taken to wearing on these missions.

"Are you fucking kidding me Granger, what in the bloody hell do you expect us to do?" Lucius was not keen on the idea of facing Barty and whatever walking dead he had on that property.

"Lucius you can't expect us to let him continue to kill people do you? What is it are you afraid?" Luna's voice was a bit raised as she found it difficult to believe Lucius of all people would be afraid.

"Of course I'm not afraid witch! I just don't see why we need to do it. I mean there are aurors for this."

"The aurors aren't here now are they? You listen to me Malfoy, you and I and these two are here and we are going back in there to end Barty."

Hermione had rarely seen Luna be this forceful, it was a good look on her and Lucius seemed to be taken back by the color rising in her cheeks and the forceful was she was handling his petulance.

"Yes…well. Maybe you are right. Severus, you're our fearless leader. What do you suggest we do?"

Severus had not expected to be signaled out. He was barely taking in everything he had seen so far. From what Hermione had told them it could be that the property was crawling with inferi that is if Barty kept them close as a sort of army. He began to pace the area, the farm house and main house was sitting on more than a couple of acres of land. The surrounding area was all wooded. At the moment Severus could not tell exactly where they were. He held up his wand and cast a location spell and the runes that appeared showed him that they were somewhere in the Southern United States.

"We're in the United States Severus, what state?"

"It looks like somewhere in Northern Florida, maybe Southern Georgia. These runes bleed into each other, you see here." Severus leaned into speak to Hermione closer his nose catching a whiff of her lavender shampoo. He noticed that she got closer to examine the runes and placed her hand on his wand arm. He could feel her hand tremble slightly.

He leaned in close to her and whispered, his breath caressing the shell of her ear, "Miss Granger, are you afraid?"

That voice, good gods he needed to get that registered. She lost count of the times she came of the memories of him lecturing in potions class. She was shivering but it had nothing to do with fear. The adrenaline from escaping the farm house and her proximity to Severus had her knickers soaking.

"Oh no, I'm not afraid," She sounded all breathy like the actresses in the movies she would watch late on Saturday nights when she sadly ate a pint of ice cream while lounging on her sofa.

Severus seemed nonplussed as he raised that damnable eyebrow and cocked his head to the side, his face coming dangerously close to hers. She raised her face slightly to look at him more closely, his breathing was labored and she could feel the wisps against her face. She unconsciously licked her lips which caused the most delicious growl to come from Severus. "Any other time witch and I would not let that cheek pass."

Before she could give a response Lucius and Luna had made their way back to them from scouting the area.

"It seems that the property does go on for a few acres. There are inferi all along the perimeter and they are being kept from wandering off by a spell. What is odd, however, is that they seem almost rabid. Severus and I have encountered Inferi before and they are usually mindless and usually will slink off when ordered, these however seem murderous."

"How close did you get?" Hermione asked curiosity piqued. She began to think back on muggle films she had watched while on holidays with her dad the images of brain hungry zombies coming to mind.

"It reminds me of Night of the Living Dead," Severus and Hermione spoke at once, garnering strange glances from the two fair haired purebloods.

"Would you two kindly explain what you are going on about?" Lucius seemed a bit put out to not be included in this unknown moment between his two colleagues.

"Do you think he used some sort of Voodoo curse during his binding?" Hermione's brain was working at a mile a minute and she turned to see Severus' was as well.

"That would be one explanation." Severus ran a long finger across his lip and thought about the possibilities that Barty may be doing a lot more than just mating with these people, he may be somehow experimenting on them. It was too farfetched for him to even consider without more information.

"Lucius, take me to where you saw them," Severus spoke "Hermione, you and Miss Lovegood set up camp here beyond the clearing, cast the most impenetrable wandless charms you can. I cannot emphasis this enough Hermione, make sure no one else can get it, and plan for every eventuality. We shouldn't be long"

As he turned to leave her felt her hand on his arm. He looked down at the exquisite beauty at his side and wished he was anywhere else in the world with her instead of there.

"Please be careful Severus," Hermione pulled him down softly and brushed her lips to his.

Any response died in his throat. The brief warmth of her lips was enough to be his undoing if he didn't rein it in. It would not do well, to fall apart or turn into a blubbering lovesick fool two feet from his oldest friend let alone a few hundred yards from a sea of brain sucking inferi.

"Right…well…lead the way Lucius."

Taking off into the air, the former dark wizards were gone.

"Hermione if I don't get in that man's robes soon, I will willingly feed myself to the inferi!" Breaking Hermione's reverie, Luna's normally airy voice was replaced by one of wanton need and desperation.

"Luna!"

"What? You can't tell me you haven't noticed just how gorgeous Lucius is?"

"I won't deny that Lucius has a certain appeal. But I prefer my wizards' darker, snarkier and preferably Severus." There she said it, it felt good to come out and confess it.

"I don't need to be a seer to know that Hermione. I could be blind atop a mountain a continent away to see the way the two of you practically fall all over each other. I just don't understand why you haven't done anything, that little kiss is all the affection I have seen you show him except for our assignments, you relatively keep away."

"Because I can't imagine he would take me seriously. I was his student and I am almost twenty years his junior. Also, I like working together and I don't want to risk that."

"I am younger than Lucius and I know he wants me but I fear he is afraid. Afraid I will reject him. I can imagine living with someone that wasn't interested in you at all will do that to a man. Do you know that Draco was conceived through magical insemination?"

"Oh Merlin, really? No I didn't."

As the two witches chatted, Hermione pulled from her enchanted bag a tent very familiar to her that took three special cleaning charms and a complete redecoration to be considered habitable again. While she set up the tent, Luna began to chant her protection spells. Since Luna had learned she was a seer, she had attended special gatherings with other seers from all over the world in an effort to hone her skills. Along with having the inner eye, she also had at her disposal ancient magiks only entrusted to oracles and seers. Her wards would hold strong as long as she had breath in her lungs. When she was done, Hermione covered the area with specially designed wards that would flay the skin off of anything that tried to get through, Ron was right to call her scary. She would be damned if she allowed some hopped up minion of the Lord of Suck to get her let alone some mindless zombie. She was Hermione Granger, she wasn't the brightest witch…oh never mind with that tripe, her shit was good and she aimed to protect her own.

She felt the heat of the galleon in her pocket and she saw the message from Harry.

_We have located you, we cannot arrive until morning. Can you hold off until then?-H_

"Bloody hell, they can't come until the morning, but they have located us."

"Well at least that's something." Even Luna the eternal optimist, didn't sound too convinced.

"Let's try to make something to eat before they get back."

"Tea?"

"That would be lovely Luna."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven **

As Luna prepared the tea, Hermione dug in her bag for her laptop. She had the laptop specially charmed a while back by a muggle wizard that specialized in muggle electronics and getting them to work in the wizarding world. She had uploaded onto her laptop an array of old texts from the best wizarding libraries in the world, somewhere in here was the answer to their predicament.

"The answer has to be in here somewhere," she mumbled as she absentmindedly took the tea cup Luna handed her.

"Some things never change," Luna smiled fondly at her friend.

* * *

The two wizards hovered around the perimeter landing soundlessly in front of the gate at the entrance to the property. There a few meters away was a small herd of inferi. Upon closer inspection Severus could see that they were snarling and their mouths were covered in what looked to be flesh blood. The rotting carcass of a dead cow confirmed that they had fed on the animal. Taking care not to be heard the two wizards moved closer to the group of inferi as they did they saw the side door of the barn being opened and a young man bound and gagged being led out to the pasture. The redneck Frank that had corralled them earlier pushed the young man towards the inferi, slicing the young man's arm with a blade to allow the blood to flow. The moment the blood hit the air the inferi took off, rather quickly in the direction of the bleeding man. The redneck had almost no time to retreat and just managed as the inferi descended upon the young man, his face frozen in a silent scream. The inferi devoured the body, leaving nothing at all except the clothes he was wearing. Lucius covered his mouth but still could not keep from being sick in the brush near where they stood. The sound of Lucius retching had the inferi turning towards their direction. Being this close to the farm Severus' wand would not respond and soon the inferi were reaching their bloodied limbs through the wooden slats of the fence.

"Aaargh!" Lucius yelled as a long fingered hand wrapped around his foot and began pulling him towards the enclosure. Looking around the ground Severus found a fallen tree branch, lifting the branch over his head he bought it down on the creature's head that was now leaning in to bite into Lucius' boot. The blow to the creature's head found most of Lucius's leg and the ground around them covered in brain matter.

Scrambling to his feet Lucius turned to Severus who was breathing heavily and raised an eyebrow in question before saying, "I guess that's one way to kill them."

"Next time do you think you could be a little quieter when you go into a fit of hysteria?" Throwing the bloodied cudgel to the ground they ran far enough away to fly back to camp. But before leaving, Severus was able to see the device Hermione had mentioned attached to the fence of the property. If they could destroy or disable the device they may be able to use their magic to destroy the farmhouse and every living or un-living thing in it.

Landing not too far from the camp they both regrouped and with a couple of flicks of their wands they were free of what was left of that creature's brain.

"This is not the inferi we are used to dealing with brother, they are much worse."

"What are we going to do?" Lucius asked as he waved his wand to vanish his sick and spittle that still remained on his robes.

"I think we need to regroup with the girls and see if Hermione has found anything of use in her collection of books."

"How could she have a collection of books, are you talking about that muggle device she carries everywhere?"

"It's called a laptop computer Lucius and yes. She's managed to download about every text on dark arts and magic from every wizarding and muggle library in the free world. The woman is totally efficient, a bit mad, but efficient."

"And you my brother are totally smitten by our Miss Granger."

"Shut up Lucius!"

The vibration from the wards let them know they had arrived at the camp even if they could not yet see the tent Hermione had dreaded so much. Severus smiled at her tenacity, regardless of their situation; she always managed to carry on regardless of her personal feelings. Before entering the camp they both cast additional protection charms and a few hexing wards to assure their security for the night.

As they walked around the perimeter Lucius who had noticed Severus' pensive look began to speak. "So what is bothering you brother, besides the herd of undead?" Lucius asked as he raised his wand and cast wards around the makeshift tent.

Casting a silencing charm around them he turned to Lucius and spoke. "I make her giggle Lucius."

Lucius chuckled a bit at his friend's apparent discomfort at the admission. "There is nothing wrong with that Severus."

"I've never made a woman giggle before Lucius; I don't know what to do with her when I do. I find it difficult to talk or even breathe for that matter."

"I think you love the little swot Severus." Lucius said as he threw his arm around his friend's shoulder.

"Watch your mouth Malfoy, that's Miss Granger to you. And no I don't know…love? I mean that is such a strong word."

"What do you feel when you're near her?"

"Besides wanting to peel the robes off her delectable body with my mouth?"

"You have it bad brother. Have you not said anything to her? You must know she feels the same."

"There is no way she would want old men like us." Severus stepped away from his friend motioning to his worn out body. "She needs a young man full of ambition and testosterone. Young women like Granger like rippling muscles and taut buttocks, not creaking knees and achy backs."

"Speak for yourself; I am still a fine specimen of man. Also I think you are too hard on yourself."

Severus stopped walking and turned to look at his oldest friend. "Do you really think so?"

It wasn't often that Lucius could remember hearing doubt in Severus' voice but his old friend certainly felt doubtful at the moment. "Of course Severus, I have seen you naked remember and so has Granger for that manner, or do you not remember who saved you and cared for you all those months? I know you are a fine specimen of man. Sure your grooming habits weren't always the best and we both know that was all for show. Lately since the end of the war you have really made an effort and Granger has noticed. You are too wrapped up in your own thoughts most of the time to notice. There are times I have been at the office and you have traipsed in complaining about some ministry worker or some new regulation and her eyes just light up. It really is something to behold. If I wasn't so smitten with that little Moon Goddess Luna I would definitely let a witch like Granger warm my bed."

"Speaking of which, when do you plan on telling her you are smitten with her?"

"Patience old man, I am sowing my seeds. She's a seer remember, she has also seen me at my worst thanks to her being a guest at the manor during her sixth year. We became close during that time, nothing sexual mind, just that I was able to confide in her. She is something special; I don't want to rush it. She is the type of girl I would have wanted for my son but having the boy that lived to annoy isn't that bad a consolation prize. Draco seems happy."

"Sowing your seeds huh?" Severus couldn't help keep the chuckle out of his voice as they entered the tent to see both witches pouring over some parchment and books that Hermione had undoubtedly stored in her extend all bag.

As Severus came closer he could see the book that had her attention was an old tattered journal that seemed to have writing appearing on it even as she read it.

"Is that an enchanted journal?" Severus asked startling Hermione out of her reverie.

"Oh good you're back, yes it belongs to an Unspeakable in the field. This one is stationed here in America. He's a squib, well in so much so that he doesn't wield magic, but the things he has done are almost other worldly. He is the only one of his kind employed by the ministry in the capacity of an Unspeakable. There is nothing that this man hasn't seen."

"Are you talking about John Winchester?" Severus cocked his head to the side and leaned in to get a better look at the writing. Snatching up the journal he flipped to the dog-eared pages in hopes of seeing something that could help them.

"Yes, Mr. Winchester seems to be tasked by not only our Ministry but also the American Ministry of Magic. There are no notes however about Barty or the happenings here. However he does note that his sons Dean and Sam have come across a few baddies while on their own missions, who knows if they have encountered any inferi."

"That's the thing, Severus and I got a closer look at these things and they aren't like any inferi we've ever seen before. These things devour flesh, they seem to crave it."

"And just how do you two know this?" Luna asked as she handed Lucius and Severus each a cup of tea.

Taking a long sip and placing the journal back down next to Hermione Severus began to speak as if afraid of their reaction to what they had seen.

"That man that found us in the field marched a young man out into the field by the barn and sliced his arm. Once the blood spilled the inferi were on him like a hungry pack of wolves."

"Oh my gods!" Hermione gasped, covering her mouth in horror.

"That's not all, seems Goldilocks over here has gotten a bit soft since the war and while he was busy being sick all over the ground, I was left fighting off a creature bent on making him his next meal."

"Oh no Lucius, are you okay?" Luna sat by the older wizard and held his hand, looking him over as if looking for any injuries.

"I am fine my dear Luna, you know our Severus is prone to exaggeration," he widened his eyes as Severus as if to admonish him for his description of the events.

"Did you bash his head?" Hermione asked without looking up from a parchment on the table.

"Yes, seems to do the trick just fine," Severus answered as he bit into a biscuit and plopped down on the chair next to the curly haired witch.

"This only confirms what I thought earlier, he has created zombies. Not the traditional voodoo zombies you read about in Afro Caribbean magic rituals. These sound like the stuff of bad Hollywood horror movies, these are the walking dead."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

She turned to see that all three of her colleagues were staring at her in abject horror. Their faces were even paler than normal as they all took in what Hermione was saying.

"What are we going to do? At this point we don't know how many of these things Barty has managed to make." Lucius asked.

"Doesn't anyone else think it's strange that he didn't follow us?" Severus asked no on in particular.

"I thought at first he might not have noticed us leave but our magical signature must have set off his wards. What if he can't leave the property?" Hermione suggested as she continued to look over some of the more ancient texts scanned to her laptop.

"He might be bound to it, I have heard that some darker rituals need continual casting, that way they remain strong. It could be that in order for Barty to keep the dementor bound to him he must redo the initial ritual at certain intervals." Severus thought aloud. It did make sense; it had to be why he didn't leave the farmhouse. Everything he needed was right there. The minions he had working for him bought in the bodies and he used them for fodder, what was left he allowed to turn.

"That is logical, although there is something blocking my inner sense. It has been so since I arrived. I have tried chanting and casting some wandless spells to see into the future and it is all blacked out by a grey mist. It's very disconcerting. Not even the nargles that I normally see are there." Luna seemed almost deflated that her once imaginary friends were no more. Hermione smiled at her strange friend. It worried her that she couldn't use her vision to help them but at this point Hermione knew they would have to go muggle on these zombies and end them all before they took over the farmhouse to deal with Barty.

"You seem lost in thought Granger, and that little mischievous glint in your eye is very off putting." Severus leaned in close to whisper into Hermione's ear. She shivered at his closeness and at the ideas that were swirling through her mind.

"Severus, your half-muggle, you know what we have to do."  
"I figured as much. I hate to say it but I think Potter might actually be helpful as well. He grew up muggle and not too far from my old neighborhood at that. Have they contacted you again?"

"Yes, Harry said they would be here by the morning."

"Did you ask him about procuring you and Miss Lovegood a provisional wand?"  
"Yes, both Luna and I have back up wands set aside at Ollivander's in the event that this might happen. Its ministry mandated but we just hadn't gotten around to picking them up."

"That's good, the wand will help some. In the morning we should work on some slicing hexes as well as finding muggle provisions. I suggest we all get some rest, there is no use staying up any longer. We can sleep in shifts so that there is always someone awake." Severus looked towards Lucius who looked dead on his feet.

"Severus, I think you and I should take the first shift." Hermione placed her hand on his arm and led him outside the tent allowing Luna and Lucius to settle in for the night in their respective cots.

Hermione walked off towards the edge of the wards to check on them while Severus walked the perimeter. They both met up by a large tree a few feet from the tent. Transfiguring his cloak into a blanket he gestured for her to join him as they watched the tent and the surroundings for any movements. Hermione could feel his thigh pressed against hers and she leaned in close to him. If she was honest with herself she was a bit frightened. These situations were not common at all and it could very well cost them their lives.

"Stop it Granger, your thoughts are practically screaming out to me. Try to get some sleep."

"I can't Severus, I'm scared."

"I know you are, but saying it isn't going to make it better. We have faced worse than this, I am sure we can see it through."

"Maybe you have seen worse, I don't know if I can do this."

"This is coming from the girl that rode a dragon out of Gringotts as if it were a pony? Pfft!"

"Did you just pfft at me Severus Snape?" She giggled and slapped at his arm, the color flushing her cheeks. She didn't know that Severus knew of all their exploits during their seventh year so to hear him compliment her even offhandedly was thrilling to say the least.

Playing with a stray blade of grass Severus found he couldn't follow that up with an answer. The soft sound of her laugh did things to him that he couldn't put into words. Once upon a time when he had been a young man he had felt the fluttering of something similar but it was just fleeting, this however was something much stronger. He desired this woman, not only for her body but for who she was and all that she could still be. He enjoyed working with her; he enjoyed the complexity of her mind and the way her smile made him feel. Maybe Lucius was right, maybe she felt the same. The way she was snuggling onto his side, her head leaning softly on his upper arm gave him warmth throughout his whole soul.

"I find that I like hearing… that sound…the sound of you giggling," Severus spoke very quietly. He waited to hear her revulsion, her rejection, however nothing came. He risked a chance at looking at her and found her snoring softly and drooling quite a lot onto his jacket.

"Well bloody hell, the one time I think to confess something the little swot falls asleep." Lifting her up softly he carried her into the tent and set her down on her cot, behind the privacy screen, which was now very conveniently placed next to his. It hadn't been so when they went outside so he imagined he had Lucius to thank for its new position within the tent.

Pushing the stray curls from her face he covered her with his cloak and went back outside to walk the perimeter. He would wake Lucius in a couple of hours; he would need his sleep as well especially if what Hermione was thinking would be the only option.

When his eyes couldn't stand the sting of the night air any longer he went inside the tent and woke Lucius. In turn Lucius woke Luna to accompany him outside. Without much said he made his way onto his cot and fell face first onto the small pillow.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Here is the slash some of you were waiting for. **

**Chapter Nine**

_Earlier in London…_

The sneer on his face was legendary as he looked down on the boy that lived.

"You like that don't you Potter…" the flaxen haired beauty moved with ease and finesse disappearing into the warmth depth of the Gryffindor's mouth. Oh the power to have the savior of their world on his knees cupping his warm balls and deep throating his rigid cock all the while the bustling sounds of the ministry played in the background.

There was a strangled murmur as Harry tried to answer only to have Draco's hold on his dark hair tighten. He loved playing this game. Slytherin versus Gryffindor in the alcoves of the ministry, this time Draco had caught Harry unawares as he walked towards the floo connections to London.

"Yes…yes…that's it Potter…put that smart mouth to good use or my father will hear about this!"

Harry tightened his fingers around the length of Draco's cock and sucked his cheeks in while his tongue laved the shaft and head. He felt Draco beginning to tremble, it would not be long.

"Get up!" Draco pulled Harry up and turned him towards the small hidden corner of the alcove, further obscuring them from prying eyes. Bending over his dark haired lover he plunged into his tight arse.

"Oh gods yesssss Draco…"

"You feel so good baby, move for me," Draco whispered into the smaller man's ear and it was almost the undoing of the Gryffindor as he began to push backwards harder and faster onto Draco's cock.

Draco tightened his longer fingers around Harry's waist and moved in unison, the heightened awareness of their location drove their frenzy to fuck faster and harder. Draco moved one hand to Harry's shoulder, pulling harder to him. Harry's hand fisted his hard shaft, pumping in unison with his lover's thrusts.

"Fuck yes…harder Draco…fuck me harder…"

"Take it all Potter, take my cock," Draco loved when Harry begged for more; it drove him wild with desire so he moved harder and faster, anything to make him happy.

A few more thrusts and Harry fell apart all around Draco, pulling from his lover a long and drawn out orgasm. Falling against his lover's back, Draco peppered the smaller man's head and neck with kisses as he mumbled words of comfort. His lips found Harry's and he kissed him long and deep, savoring the moment of utter bliss they had experienced.

"Gods I fucking love you…"

"Me too baby…me too.

"Now, get off. I have to get these wands for the girls before Ollivander closes up shop for the evening."

"Wow Potter, the magic is gone huh?"

"Oh don't give me that face baby; I'll make it up to you tonight."

"How do you plan on doing that?" Draco was sulking a bit as he adjusted his robes and hair.

"I'll wear my Quidditch uniform…"

"Keep talking…"

* * *

**Back at the camp**

When he woke in the morning he found that his boots had been removed as well as his outer jacket. A small cup of coffee sat at the small table between their cots. Severus smiled and stretched listening to the voices of Potter and Draco discussing their issues arriving. With a quick wave of his wand he cleaned himself up a bit and put his boots and robe back into place. His wand nestling safely in its holster he walked out of the tent in search of a very large tree to take a piss.

When he returned he greeted the younger Malfoy and Potter and waited on the game plan he was sure Granger was itching to let them in on.

"Is it true Snape? Are they really zombies like in the movies?" Harry asked almost excitedly.

"Potter, I fail to see how this is even remotely exciting but if you must know yes, like in the movies."

"Wicked awesome, I have always loved those movies. I took Draco to see one a few weeks ago. He loved it too right love?"

Draco still colored a bit at the term of endearment. It seemed that so many years yearning for attention and love left him a bit uncomfortable at public displays of affection however he nodded his head in the affirmative, his eyes lighting up.

"Was this the one with the bloke walking around London for about a half hour before he runs into those things at the church?" Hermione asked without looking away from some scattered parchment and her cup of coffee.

"Yeah, that's the one. Did you see it?" Harry walked excitedly over to Hermione picking up a biscuit from the morning breakfast spread on the small table.

"Yes I did. Viktor was in town last month and we caught a midnight showing."

"So how is Vicky? Is he as delectable as always?" Draco asked as Luna and Harry both leaned in to hear the answer.

"Oh you know Viktor. He is the tall, dark and quiet type, not much going on in here," Hermione pointed at her head.

"Yeah but that's not why you keep him around it is, it's more about what's down here," Harry pointed at his Crouch as they all broke out in a fit of giggles.

Severus colored with anger at hearing the name of the Bulgarian brut.

"If we're all done walking down memory lane, I don't see how any of this can help us!" Severus snapped at his younger colleagues as Lucius looked on in support.

"Sorry Severus, let's fill them in on what's going on and what we have planned." Hermione spoke softly to the dark wizard. She realized too late that maybe she shouldn't have mentioned having seen Viktor at all. It's not that she was seeing Severus or anything but she didn't want him to think that she was seeing Viktor either. Truth was Viktor had remained a good friend, he would visit they would catch a movie, some dinner maybe even dancing; he was a great mate, nothing more. It had been so many years that they came to love each other almost like family, the same way she cared for Ron and Harry. Then again it did look like he was a bit upset at the sound of Viktor's name. It might do Hermione well to let him stew in some jealously stew if she hoped to get into those dark robes any time this zombie apocalypse.

"We have surmised that the ritualistic necromancy that Barty has to do in order to keep the dementor bound to him requires him to create these creatures. It isn't a muggle virus but something along the lines of a magical one. These aren't your common garden variety inferi; they are driven by the need to feed. Your typical inferi will simply maim and kill at the wizard's behest. These seem to be roaming at will, kept on the property by the wards Barty has in place. Since normally inferi are created by wizards the fact that they are being created by a Dementor/Wizard hybrid seems to have thrown it all for a loop…hence zombies."

Hermione waited to make sure that everyone was on the same page. Once she was satisfied they were all following along she continued.

"Severus and I were thinking that it would be best to acquire muggle provisions, such as weapons. These things can be killed by decapitation as you proved last night. There were some notes in Winchester's diary about decapitation and then the burning of the bones, which is why I think since the wards in place limit magic use, we need to go muggle and burn them out."

"Wow Hermione, you're a bad ass," Harry was teeming with excitement. It had been a few years since the war and the boy that lived to annoy seemed to miss the good old days.

"Yes Potter. That she is," Severus smirked just a bit as he saw Hermione's cheeks color at his off handed compliment. He would never get tire of seeing that look on her face. Schooling his own features he turned to Lucius and the other two men and directed them to follow him.

"Come on we are going to head down the road a few miles, I believe I saw a shopping center when we flew around the perimeter last night. We should go and stock up on what we need now before nightfall.

Hermione, I suggest that you and Luna find all you can on unbinding spells, we need to find a way to separate Barty from that Dementor. If not we need to find a way to destroy them both."

Hermione nodded and watched as the four wizards left in a swirl of robes and dust.

"Well that went well," Luna's voice broke Hermione's momentary reverie.

"Yes, well, I think we still have a lot of research to do before those four get back."

"Tea?"

"Yes please."

And with that the two worked in companionable silence.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten **

They knew something was wrong as soon as they arrived. In the evening hours the town had looked lit up like a Christmas tree but in the daylight it looked like what it was… a ghost town. Upon further inspection it seemed that the creatures that inhabited the farm were not just relegated to there. They had somehow gotten out and the town was the result. The smell was the first thing that let them know that something was wrong, that and the carcasses of not only livestock but people that littered the streets of the small town.

"Dear Circe! Severus, they have gotten out."

"Yes I see that Lucius, but where are they?"

The four men drew their wands and walked with their backs almost to each other to watch out for attacks from all angles. The smell was too much and Severus cast a repelling charm on them all to keep the stench of rotting corpses from making them greener than they already were.

"We should disillusion ourselves, we aren't exactly dressed as muggles and also I don't know if these creatures can see us if we do. Anyway it wouldn't help to try," Harry said.

The boy had a point, with a few flicks of their wands they were all disillusioned to everyone else except each other. They proceeded further into the town and found a large store with a sign that read hardware and surplus. Finding the store littered with debris and death all around, they grabbed as much as they could in the way of tools and makeshift weapons.

"We're going to need a car to get this back to the campsite, I don't feel very comfortable shrinking these weapons," Draco said. It was surprising to hear the pureblood suggest a muggle vehicle but his few years with Harry had certainly changed his tune for the better.

"Severus?" Lucius motioned to the car park full of abandoned cars.

Severus had done many things during his life he was not proud of; nicking cars from car parks to joy ride in was just another thing to add to the list. Once he was old enough to know better he would sell the car off for parts, making some pocket money to spend at Hogwarts and during holidays back at Spinner's End. He could buy his mother her favorite ciggy's and a copy of American Playboy magazine. It was a few extra quid but his cock thanked him later on when he was wanking off to Miss Spring Break 1976.

Looking over the large variety in the store car park he found a pickup truck with plenty of space for all of them and their entire haul. They would also have to grab some food and water since the tent supplies were not indefinite. He was happy to find that whoever had driven the truck there had not left the vehicle locked so hotwiring it became that much easier. However as he leaned into the car he noticed a set of keys in one of the center cup holders and pressed a button on the fob and the truck roared to life. The four men climbed onto the truck and headed out towards the road to find a food shop. As they passed more storefronts they saw more and more devastation. He wondered how far out they had gone and if there was a way they could alert the American Department of Magic to what was going on. As they reached an intersection Severus was alerted to a police vehicle stopped and an officer fighting with a creature. They stopped to offer assistance but it was too late, as they pulled over they saw the creature rip the throat out of the office and while his body fell limp to the ground.

What they observed next was what scared them. The creature reached out and seemed to move its mouth over the body of the officer and a dark mist seem to come from within the creature and into the mouth and eyes of the officer. The creature then stood and with it the officer. The officer had been turned into an inferi. It was spreading. The townspeople that they had seen killed had been used for sustenance while the rest had been turned. Barty was creating an army of the undead. The fact that they weren't just mindless killing machines just let them know that Barty must be controlling them. They needed to cut the link between Barty and the creatures. Gathering their wits they took off towards the tent, stopping briefly at the food market in town they made it back to the tent before nightfall. This new information would change how they would approach the installation and how they would move forward with attacking Barty.

Jumping from the truck Harry decided he wasn't going to let these two escape and cause further harm. Waving an axe he took the head off the police officer while Severus used a baseball bat to bash in the head of the other inferi. Taking a few extra swings for good measure there was nothing but mush left once the dark potions master was done.

"I think he's dead godfather…well finally dead," Draco touched his godfather's arm to stop the barrage of blows.

"Yes Severus, it seems that you're quit equipped at this task," the older Malfoy smirked as he looked upon the two beheaded corpses.

"Yes…well," looking around he caught the glint of excitement in Potter's eyes, he had enjoyed that just as much as Severus had. There was something to be said for those that had lived with darkness within them, you can control it all you want but every now and again it breaks free. Good thing they were on the side of good when it did.

"Good work Potter."

"Damn right sir. You too," Harry said as he cleaned the axe off on the officer's uniform and grabbed the man's sidearm.

Thinking back to the Winchester diary, "Burn the bodies," Severus said to no one in particular as he turned back towards the truck. As he reached the door he retched onto the ground. Death had never held much fascination for him, regardless of their state now, these had been people at one time.

Lucius pointed his wand at the two bodies and cried out "_Incendio!"_

Severus had a feeling if Barty was controlling the inferi he knew they had been destroyed. That did not bode well for them.

No one said much on the ride back.

But they all knew what they were thinking.

If it came to that they would prefer it be quick.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven **

She knew something was wrong the moment she saw his face. Gone was the smirk she had grown to love and glint of happiness she had begun to associate with their banter was also absent. There was an ominous nature in the manner in which he walked, shoulders hunched, his gait stuttered slightly. He looked deflated.

She looked to Harry and Draco and they both shook their heads albeit minutely. The smattering of blood on Severus' robes and face let her know their trip had not been uneventful.

Walking up to the dour wizard she placed her hand on his arm, "tell me."

"They've reached the town. We encountered two on the road. Barty is controlling them, turning those they attack into inferi, those they don't eat that is. The town was littered with corpses in various states of decomposition. Lucius cast a spell and there was no one left alive in town. It was empty."

"Where are all the people? There certainly aren't enough inferi on the farm to account for a town that large Severus," she asked as she helped him unload the supplies from the truck.

"Let's not talk about it anymore, the sooner we end this, the sooner we can be as far away from here as possible. I think it's time for a holiday, don't you think?"

"Is that an invitation?" Hermione smiled coyly as she noticed the pull at the corner of his mouth. And with that she had managed to bring back the man she had grown so fond of.

"If you play your cards right witch…"

"Oh so that so? So I see you picked up a big truck, very nice truck, compensating much?" Hermione smirked at Severus's cocked eyebrow.

"Oh no dear Gryffindor, there is no need to over compensate, I seem to have everything well in hand."

"Yes, well that's the only place it's been lately," Lucius quipped as he helped the boys unload the remaining supplies form the back of the truck.

Hermione giggled at the color in Severus' cheeks and moved to help Luna set up an early dinner for them all. After they had all eaten and settled in around the table Severus filled Hermione and Luna in on what they had seen in town.

"So they don't remain contained and they are somehow magically infecting those victims they don't eat?" Hermione asked as she looked around to the four men at the table.

"Yes and I surmise that if we unbind Barty from the Dementor we might be able to somehow break the connection between the Dementor and the creatures," Severus said.

"There are some spells in the book of the dead but they require a blood sacrifice. I don't know how comfortable I am with this type of dark magic Severus."

"Hermione, it doesn't have to come to that, let's look at the options, if it does come to that I think you can count on all of us donating a bit to the cause," Harry said with a goofy grin.

"I don't think we have a choice, there is a potion that we must get Barty to ingest. I don't know how we'll be able to do that without placing ourselves in his direct line of fire so to speak." Hermione nervously wrung her hands together as what little bit of confidence she had at success seem to ebb away.

"What about using a golem? They don't attract nargles but I am sure that Barty won't be able to tell the difference especially if we imbibe it with the lifeblood of its maker," Luna said.

"That's brilliant," Lucius gushed over the young witch which had her eyes lighting up in a whole different way than Hermione and Severus were used to seeing. Even Draco and Harry noticed the interplay between the two fair haired members of their group.

"Has anyone made a golem before?" Draco asked.

"I will do it," Severus' tone brokered no doubt that he would be the one. It seemed that Barty was especially angry to see him still alive. Severus had been one of those that escaped incarceration during the first war while Severus walked free because of Dumbledore's intervention. It was personal between Severus and Barty and Severus aim was to finish him, it was the least he could do for Frank and Alice. He had not been able to end Bellatrix but Barty had been there to torture Longbottom's parents and there had been nothing Severus could do at the time. Now however, he would make the man pay for his past and present transgressions.

Severus and Lucius began to work on the creation of the golem. While it would not be exactly a golem it would be something akin to that. Having been around dark magic for so long the two of them were more versed in its theory and use and they knew that they would have to call upon their resources to breathe life into their creation. While the Golem itself was not considered dark magic, it would take a lot more magical ingenuity to create one that was an identical copy of the potions master. In folklore it is a shapeless mass created to serve its master however what Severus and Lucius were doing was a lot more than the mere creation of a golem. These rituals had been lost for ages and only found again by the Dark Lord. The scrolls were destroyed by Severus once he knew that the Dark Lord planned on creating an army of the creatures to serve him at all times. The thought alone had given Severus nightmares for weeks. The torture at the hand of their master had been worth it to avoid the future that the Dark Lord had planned.

Hermione and Harry worked on training Draco and Luna on how to use the muggle weapons they had acquired in town. Harry was a natural at the use of an axe and Luna was surprisingly good with the crossbow. Draco actually had trained in fencing as a child so he swung the sword they had gotten from the surplus store with ease. Hermione and Harry filled them in on the intricacies of zombie films and how it's always about decapitation and destroying the brain's connection to the spinal cord. While it wasn't an exact science the main idea was there and Hermione was certain that between the six of them they would eradicate them all.

A few hours later when Severus and Lucius had returned the four of them had become quite proficient and felt at ease with the various forms of muggle weapons. Hermione worried for just a moment that Harry was so incredibly giddy but then again she remembered that he grew up with a life full of adventures, so this just proved another one for the boy who lived.

"Were you successful?" Hermione asked them as they approached from the bottom of the hill where they had gone to work.

"You tell me," Lucius responded as he motioned to the almost perfect replica of the dark Potions Master that they had all come to know and love. He stood motionless, moving only when commanded by his maker.

"Oh my…he is magnificent!"

Hermione was very impressed; she circled the golem and found her hand reaching out to touch the creation. "Can I touch it?" she asked to which Lucius chuckled and Severus nodded imperceptibly.

"Wow, it's so solid. Does it feel anything? I mean will it feel pain?" She ran her hands over the chest of the golem, her fingers finding their way to twirl in its silken locks while the maker of said golem was huffed not so quietly with indignity.

"If you are done molesting my golem, I will tell you anything you want to know," Severus spoke, his voice strained and ragged.

"I'm sorry but it looks just like you, it's amazing," Hermione cooed as she found it difficult to tear her eyes away from the creation. She could feel Severus' magic vibrating through the creature.

She found herself caressing the golem's back as if it were Severus', it was with a heavy reluctance that she pulled away from the faux Severus. She couldn't help see the dark flash of something in the real Severus' eyes as she walked back towards the group to plan out the attack for the next morning.

After eating Draco and Harry set up their own tent and turned in for the evening. The wards were now keyed to all of them and to the magical signature of the creatures; they would not have to sit up all night to watch over their camp. Lucius and Luna walked off towards the edge of the camp to speak in whispers. Hermione could see Luna's face light up with mirth as Lucius whispered in her ear, his large hand resting on the small of her back. She was happy for them; she wished this would all blow over and that they could make things work. Lucius had been alone for so long and Luna needed a guiding hand since her father passed away suddenly after the war. She turned to her conundrum; her riddle all wrapped up in black, scowl and all and watched as he guided the golem to sit in the corner of the tent.

She couldn't look away from Snape. He was sporting a couple of days' worth of facial hair and the rugged look really suited him. He looked up from his task and caught her looking at him. She struggled to catch her breath as she realized for the first time in the last few days they were completely alone except for the golem.

"Miss Granger, is there something you needed?" He asked her as his eyebrow rose slightly and a small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. He walked towards her, his strides were long and determined and before she knew it he was standing dangerously close to her.

She mumbled something unintelligible. How could she tell him she wanted him? The thought that they would go up against those creatures in the morning had her worried they would die. It was all terribly clichéd of her to want to finally do something regarding these feelings. They had been plaguing her for years but the thought of something happening without at least saying something was too much for her to bear.

"I want…"

"Come again Miss Granger, what was that?"

"I…"


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I hope it was worth the wait….Thank you to all that have taken the time to review this little story. You all make writing these stories worth it.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

She looked up into those dark eyes she had gotten used to seeing in all their shades and gently placed a small hand on his chest. The sharp intake of breath from the dark man had her holding her own. She let her hands run along the broad expanse of his chest, her hands feeling the contours and grooves of his shoulders and torso. Gathering all her courage and with a sly smile she spoke.

"It really is an amazing likeness Severus…" She let his name roll off her tongue like an exquisite wine.

He coughed slightly and shifted from one foot to another.

"Yes…well…" his response was barely a whisper.

She walked around him to his back, her hands never leaving his torso, caressing his hips, his waist then up his broad back and then again down his arms. She could feel his breath coming faster, more labored. She continued her perusal letting her hands explore lower across his taut backside; she could feel him push slightly into her hands as she gently kneaded the flesh of his buttocks. She swore she heard what sounded like a muffled growl come from the normally stoic man.

"It's really amazing what magic can do, it almost feels real," she spoke in his ear, her breath warming the flesh. She wanted to take this game further. She had seen how his eyes widened when she had caressed the golem; he looked as if he wanted it to be his flesh beneath her questing hands.

"It just takes discipline and the right spells," he spoke; his voice was low and strained.

He didn't trust himself not to whimper at her questing touch. She had dragged her hands across his arse much the same way she had touched the golem and his prick was straining the front of his pants, weeping for attention.

"I wonder, is it anatomically correct, fully functional?" She asked as she stood in front of him, if the tent in his trousers was any indication, he was certainly anatomically correct and very functional. She worked on opening the placket of buttons on the front of the trousers, her fingers slightly grazing his erection. The brief contact had him holding his breath lest the game end before it even began.

"I am sure that it is fully functional," His voice was a low growl as she released his hardened erection.

"Well, I can tell you Professor, the work you have done is quite impressive," She smiled at him cheekily her fingers teasingly grazed the velvety skin of his hardened cock. The head was weeping a thick precum and her mouth watered at the idea of licking it and she wondered what he would do if she did. Without further thought she dropped to her knees and gazed at the most beautiful cock she had ever seen and held it with reverence in her hand before speaking.

"It seems as if it might be defective, is this fluid discharge normal?" Her voice remained in character, even as her knickers soaked with desire.

The pretense almost seemed lost as the normally constrained man was now looking down on her as a feral beast looks upon a meal. "Miss Granger, I would suggest you test the fluid for any irregularities before presenting your full report."

And she did, and this time she definitely heard a growl. She leaned in and let the flat part of her tongue lick the thick drops that wept from his tip before plunging her mouth over his cock. She tightened her cheeks and sucked his cock, tasting every inch, her hand pumping the parts she couldn't get fully into her hungry mouth. Her other hand grasped his balls as she softly rolled them in her hand and then sucked each one into her mouth. He tasted so good and felt even better as his large hands dug into her hair and he furiously fucked her mouth.

It was even better than he had imagined. He was lost to the sensation of the warmth of her tongue and mouth. He found he couldn't stop and didn't want to stop as he felt his climax rise. She pulled him even harder to her, hungrily sucking him further into her mouth and throat. He couldn't stop as he came, he eagerly fed her his cock and his orgasm was hers as she milked him for every last drop. Pulling her head back he looked down to see her pink tongue flick out to lick his release from her lips, her hair was drenched in sweat and her lips were plump and red from servicing his cock.

She looked absolutely beautiful.

He leaned down and whispered hoarsely in her ear, "Have you determined the functionality of the anatomy Miss Granger? Or will you require more hands on study?"

She was stunned that he could still play along, her hand had wandered into her jeans and her fingers were furiously rubbing her hardened nub.

She nodded at his question as she spoke, "Definitely, I will need to d-d-o more research. Would you be willing to assist me P-Professor?" Her words were breathy as she was so close to coming.

He pulled her up roughly by her hair and led her over to a makeshift table. He pushed her up on the coarse surface and pulled her jeans roughly from her shapely thighs. She wantonly opened herself to him, letting him gaze upon her almost bare sex. A smattering of curls but otherwise bare pussy was presented to his greedy eyes. Her skin glowed with perspiration and he wondered if she tasted as sweet as she smelled. Using his wand he cut off the room of the tent from the remaining area, all that was left now was a small cot, the table and a slow burning lantern. The spell he cast made the area their own room; he silenced the room before turning to her.

"Take off your shirt."

She pulled the jumper from her body and her bra quickly followed. She had always thought her breasts were her best feature; they were plump and definitely more than a handful. As she watched Severus' expression at seeing them for the first time, she knew she had been right.

The soft candlelight from the lantern made her body look even more enticing as the light and shadows danced around her ample curves. His cock began to swell again as he stood staring at her, he could smell her musk, and her desire was almost dripping onto the well-worn surface of the table.

"Touch yourself," he ordered as he worked on removing his trousers completely. His waistcoat quickly followed leaving him in white shirtsleeves. The sight of him so uncovered had her hand working even faster. She moved her hips up to meet the thrusts of her fingers into her wet cunt. Leaning back only slightly she splayed her thighs further, making sure he looked at all of her. As he removed his shirt she waited with baited breath for him to completely disrobe. Once he did and the shirt hit the floor of the tent she came hard, his name dancing on the tip of her tongue.

Not once had she closed her eyes, the intensity of his stare as she pleasured herself only made her want him more. As the waves of the orgasm washed over her she briefly closed her eyes and relaxed onto the surface of the table but before she could his voice roused her.

"Look at me."

So she did and what she saw almost undid her again, down on his knees in front of the table his mouth descended onto her quim, his tongue questing and diving into her folds had her legs quivering and her thighs squeezing his head.

"Open yourself for me," His commands were barked in his strictest professor tone, she had not been his student in years but it still managed to send a sharp tingle up her spine. That voice had been engrained in her psyche and she found she could not refuse to obey him. He seemed to know this as he relished in her surrender. She pulled her thighs apart further as he continued his assault on her pussy.

"You really are a thorough researcher, aren't you Miss Granger?" He spoke between laps of his tongue on her sodden folds.

She thinks she may have answered yes but she couldn't imagine formulating words as the wave of an oncoming orgasm was threatening her very sanity. She had wanted this man for so long and now the reality of the situation had her falling apart in his mouth.

"Yes, you are, very thorough and lascivious Miss Granger and such a good girl. You seem to respond very well to the subject's verbal commands. I wonder if that would work with all verbal cues. How about we test that, huh Miss Granger?"

"Y-y-yes, Professor."

His fingers found her entrance and slipped in easy, he pumped in and out as his mouth sucked on her clit. With one last lap at her pussy he stood while his fingers still fucked her hard. He leaned into her, his hand at her neck and he plunged his tongue into her mouth. She opened for him much as she had on the table. Their tongues fought for dominance as she tasted his desperation and need in each and every swipe of his gifted tongue. He stood between her splayed thighs as his fingers worked her clit and folds, his other hand kneaded her breasts, his fingers tweaking the taut nipples that begged to be licked and sucked.

"You like that don't you? Rubbing yourself for me to watch, that made you hot didn't it? Tell me witch!"

"Yes…gods yes…"

He grabbed her right breast and massaged it softly as his mouth sucked the nipple deep into his mouth. She cried out, the pain and pleasure was enough to have her over the edge again.

"Oh gods…fuck me already…" She pulled his hair and crashed her lips back to his. She needed him in her now and this while all fascinating and fantastically lush it was driving her already bursting need through the roof of the tent.

He was hard again, the head of his cock butted against the inside of her thigh and she could see him straining to keep from bursting again. She gripped his hardened shaft and pulled him to the apex of her thighs. She rubbed the head of his cock against her folds, he hummed and moaned in response, his head buried at her neck, his mouth biting the skin there.

"Yes witch, just like that, tell me…tell me you want me," His hand was buried in her hair again and he pulled her head back to stare into her eyes as he spoke.

"You tell me…tell me you want to fuck me…," she jutted her chin out and met his steady gaze, their breath ragged as they battled for the upper hand. The hand at her hip pulled her closer, his fingers digging into the skin, his other hand tugging her head further back as he leaned in and licked the column of her neck from collarbone to ear and whispered into her waiting ear.

"If you only knew Miss Granger…I've wanted to bury my cock into your cunt for months, for much to long for it to be considered proper. Watching you in the shower, my release at the sounds of your voice calling out for me undid me. Yes I want you…I. Want. You." And with that he plunged deep and hard into her waiting body. His thrusts came hard and fast, he didn't release her hair and she realized she liked it. She liked him being in control. Her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer if it was even possible as he seemed intent in marking her with his whole body. The sweat of his chest against hers was intoxicating. He kissed and bit at her neck while his hands remained strong at her hips and neck. He found her mouth and fucked it with his tongue and she gasped and moaned her desire into his mouth as she took him all. She ran her hands all over his back and arms, holding him closer as he plunged deeper and harder into her. His cock stretched her and it was a glorious sensation to have him finally losing control.

He pulled away slightly, "turn around, bend over and grasp the table like a good girl Miss Granger," he whispered as her eyes widened at the command.

Her feet found the floor albeit wobbly she turned and grasped the edge of the table bending over, presenting herself to his wandering hands and mouth. His hands caressed her back and arse as he knelt on the floor behind her.

"You have a magnificent arse Miss Granger, do you know that?" He massaged her buttocks and pulled the flesh apart at her entrance to bury his face in her arse and quim. He licked at her puckered hole and again at her cunt.  
"You are so wet…tell me what you want Miss Granger?" His mouth continued to devour her pussy and his finger played at the entrance of her arse, he alternated and kept her shifting from foot to foot as she begged him with her body to fuck her. Using her hand she reached back and pulled him closer to her, his mouth and tongue devouring her with abandon.

When she didn't answer she felt a hard slap on her arse cheek. His mouth didn't stop working her cunt, his lips sucking at her clit. If anything the slap made her wetter, she thought she was going to pass out if he didn't fuck her soon.

"Answer me Miss Granger or I will be forced to discipline you again."

She decided she would wait, and when she did the second slap burned deliciously on her already reddened skin. He lapped at the increased flow of desire flooding her pussy and waited for her to speak.

"Fuck m-m-me…Fuck me Professor."

Yes it had been her fantasy, she had wanted him as he gave his speeches in class, as his deft fingers worked the ingredients and his voice made love to her senses in the guise of potions instructions.

He stood quickly; his cock was straining again to get inside her. There inside her depths he would find the answers to all his questions. He would find the happiness that had somehow evaded him for all his life and there he could die and never regret a thing. The fact that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her was a heady factor that made him delirious with power; he wanted to tease her, to have her beg him for release, to scream his name. He wanted to tattoo her soul with his and the fact that he sounded like besotted fool made no difference to him as the head of his cock slowly stretched the very lubricated and tight opening to her arse.

"Oh gods…yes….yes…" she moaned and pushed back onto him. He held her hips tight to keep her from bucking but it didn't help as he buried his cock deeper into her pulsing virgin channel. They stopped moving and he took a moment for her to adjust and a few breaths to keep from coming to quickly. His hands caressed her back and she crooned like a cat at his touch. He reached out to her shoulders pulling her back to him slowly, letting her adjust to his girth, he flexed and she moaned and begged him for more. Wrapping one hand around her hair he began to move, his strokes slow at first but soon it wasn't enough and they began to move in unison. He grabbed her hips, pulling her to him as she pushed back with reckless abandon. He had never had a woman react like this to his touch, in all honesty he had not been with many women at all and none of them had given themselves as selfishly as this witch had.

Not _this_ witch, _his_ witch.

"Fuck yes Professor…don't stop."

"Say my name witch, say it," He wrapped his hand around her hair again and pulled her back, his cock pumping into her, his other hand reached around to rub her swollen nub.

"Gods…yes Severus…fuck me...harder…"

"That's a good girl…."

He pulled his cock from her arse and thrust it into her waiting pussy, she was dripping wet and as his cock stretched her again her walls clamped down on his invading shaft and she shattered all around him, her walls milking his cock as he came hard, long spurts of come filling her.

He stayed like that inside her, his upper body leaning slightly on her back as his hands caressed her back and breasts. He felt her shudder at his touch as his softening cock noisily slipped from her still thrumming body. She turned in his arms and looked at him, his eyes averted for a moment and she could see the vulnerability there. Even after he had taken her to heights of pleasure he still had doubts.

She pulled his face up and kissed him soundly on the mouth, her lips and tongue tasting their combined flavor, her fingers pushing the long strands of hair behind his ears as she ended the kiss slowly and pulled him close.

"That was…"

"Wrong, well that's what I would say if I was a better man, but I find myself being extremely selfish."

"Why is that, pray tell?" She felt him hold her against him, his arms around her waist as hers wrapped around his neck.

"For too long I have been the slave of many masters, to long dead memories, to mistakes that have torn my soul apart but now I find that I cannot act like others would expect me to act. What I said before was true, I have wanted you for too long, longer than I should have. I don't know if I can define what it is, but I just knew that if I didn't bury myself inside you and I died tomorrow I would be condemned to an afterlife of misery."

She pulled him over to the small cot, recovering her wand from her discarded jeans she pointed it at the cot and it became larger and covered in ridiculously luxurious sheets and pillows. She had been a natural at transfiguration.

He quirked his eyebrow at her and cocked his head.

"Well if there is a possibility that we will die tomorrow I want to sleep on nice sheets and wrapped around you."

He thought she would mention being wrapped up in the sheets but the mention of sharing the bed with him gave him a small ache in his chest. He ignored it and cast cleansing charms on the both of them and settled under the lush blankets. Before he could turn away she was wrapped around him, her arm draped across his chest and her plump thigh resting against his. Her fingers softly caressed the black hairs of his chest and abdomen. Her head rested on his shoulder and he found that while he had never shared a bed with anyone, at that very moment he would not have it any other way. The warmth of the witch was intoxicating and the small pang in his chest returned. His fingers threaded through her long hair and he rested his head against hers, it wasn't too long before sleep had claimed them both.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

They had not moved much during the night. As the first rays of sun began to creep into the tent his eyes opened to find the witch, his witch, still wrapped around him. He could smell the sweet scent of lavender and rosemary on her hair. The tang of their lovemaking from the night before still hung in the air of the small space. If his cock had not already been straining against the sheets it would have sprung to attention as a result of her body heat and the remembered memories of the night before. What had started as some harmless role playing and teasing had resulted in the best night of his wretched life. There hadn't been planning nor a long drawn out courtship, there had been two people that had wanted this for longer than was healthy finally finding each other. He had always respected her, admired her tenacity, her fantastic tits didn't hurt either. He smirked at his own cheek. She had bought this side out of him, her giggling and verbal sparring had been setting the scene for what finally came to head the previous night.

It had been foreplay.

Months and months of sexual tension, flirting, verbal sparring all led to this and he found he didn't want it to end. He wanted to keep working with her, their adventures were epic and he imagined they would continue to be so. Adding the element of mind blowing sex could make this a very fruitful and long lasting partnership. She shifted in her sleep and leg touched his shaft pulling a long groan from his throat. Without a word she shifted and moved over him before impaling her hot cunt onto his cock. He could swear she was still asleep but he found he didn't care. His head fell back as he felt the delicious heat of her tight pussy move slowly up and down his shaft. His hands found her hips and he helped her move but she seemed to be in control and moved one of his hands to her breast and the other to rub her hardened clit.

"Mmmm…," she moaned and began to move faster, her hands splayed on his chest she sat up fully and rode him hard and fast, his cock disappearing deeper and harder inside her descending pussy.

"Yes witch…fuck me…take it all…," he sat up wrapping her legs around his body as he growled in her ear. His words seem to spur her on. She leaned back and his tongue laved her neck, his mouth devoured her breasts, his teeth teased and bit her nipples, his lips and tongue marking her creamy flesh. The more he kissed and marked her flesh the harder she continued to fuck him, she moved faster and harder, his cock slipping easy in and out of her hot sheath. His hands held her back gently then to her shoulders as he pulled her harder to him, pistoning her body onto his cock as deep as he could before he felt her begin to fall apart.

"Come for me witch…"

He had her trained to obey and the simple command had her screaming out his name, her inner walls clenched as she came. As her body pulsed and trembled, it pulled from him the last vestiges of his control as he came hard, her name a silent benediction. He held her to him, her arms around him, caressed his scarred back as her mouth peppered kisses on his shoulder and neck while she hummed softly into his skin. He took the warmth and comfort she offered. It wasn't like he had witches lining up to hold him and tell them everything was going to be okay. She had been the one to bring him back from the dead; she had trusted him and fought for him when all others had turned their back. He thought at first to just attribute it as a trait typical of her house, but in all honesty there wasn't anyone else quite like Hermione Granger. She was fierce, loyal and a damn fine lay and he was going to take all he could get before she realized she was too good for the likes of him. He was a foul ugly git that had one too many strikes against him and he would be damned if he turned away the one woman who had seen past all that shite.

"You know we need to get up right?" She said as she buried her face in his neck.

"I thought I was up…or didn't you wake long enough to feel it?"  
"Cheeky bugger," she said as she playfully slapped his arm and extracted herself from his grasp. Standing in front of him she suddenly felt a bit shy and began to look for her clothes. Sensing her discomfort he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back onto his lap. As she fell onto him he held her and pulled her chin towards him, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"Don't be embarrassed, I find the sight of you naked even more pleasing when you look totally debauched. The fact that it was me that gave you that look makes my cock hard again."

"You're insatiable!" She said as she kissed him again, her bottom rubbing enticingly against his hardening cock.

"Enough witch, we have a dementor to do away with and an army of inferi-zombies to defeat."

"Of course Professor…"

"Don't….I don't think I could hear you call me that without wanting to take you right where you stand."

"Thank you very much for that very helpful piece of intel, I will be sure to store it away for a rainy day." She winked as she ran towards the makeshift showers at the opposite end of the tent. Running through the almost empty tent she noticed that Lucius and Luna had warded off a portion of the tent for their own needs. No sooner was Hermione under the magical spray of water that she felt two strong hands caressing her breasts from behind.

There was no purchase in the small stall, no wall to lean on, no shower bar to hang on to but that didn't stop Severus from lifting her as if she weighed nothing and impaling her on his cock. He moved slowly, their bodies rubbing slowly against each other, the water running of their joined bodies cooled their rising heat.

She kissed his face, his nose his mouth; she couldn't get enough of him. There was no frenzy, no desperation. Just two people reveling in the feelings of deep attraction and profound desire.

He moaned into her neck as she tightened and they came together each gasping for air as the pleasure was ripped from deep within.

"Severus…"

"I know…" his whispered as he began to wash her body.

There was no regret.

No shame.

And that felt just right.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

The way that Severus had been looking at Granger as she caressed the golem told Lucius everything he needed to know. He needed to make himself scarce as he was pretty sure Severus was going to show Granger just what happens when you tease a Slytherin. Lucius looked around and saw that Harry and Draco had already made themselves scarce and he was left alone outside the tent while a very demure looking Luna looked away as to avoid his gaze. He knew he was being a fool. He knew he was handsome, the women had come out in droves to comfort him after his divorce from Narcissa but to be honest he had not been interested. He was just as bad as Severus; his ego had taken a hit. At least it looked like Severus was finally getting his due. The poor miserable sod had suffered more than most of them and if anyone could make him happy Lucius was sure Granger could.

Lucius adjusted his waistcoat and looked out into the night sky. It has been so long since he had tried to court someone, since he had been this attracted to someone. His marriage to Narcissa had been made easy, she had been a childhood friend and their families had decided for them early on of their betrothal. Lucius had wondered how it would be since he knew of her proclivities since catching her snogging with another girl from Slytherin house. Narcissa had assured him they would make their marriage work. It was what they had to do, it was the Pureblood way. Now he was alone. He had never been alone. He looked over to the perimeter of their camp and watched as his moon goddess walked barefoot over the grass pulling wildflowers by the moonlight alone. He was a fool to think this would lead to anything. She was too young, he was too old, all the clichés fit perfectly, except that this wasn't a crisis of identity, he felt a connection to this woman. She made him feel alive again, young and out of control. The world looked brighter, smiling came easier and he feared that if he didn't do something soon he would lose her to someone else. He had never felt like this. He had never been allowed to fall in love. Resolving that he must do something he started to walk over to where she had wandered near a shadowy crop of trees. The long tendrils of moonlight played against the long strands of her hair and she looked up from her hands to look him in the eye.

"Lucius…I wondered how long it would take you to come to me."

"I was just thinking little one."

"Sometimes it's best not to think so much."

With that said she closed the gap between them and kissed him softly on the mouth. To say he was surprised was an understatement. It had been a few years since they had connected while she was held in the manor but he had felt that connection deeply. They had shared secrets and been there for each other, purely innocent. She had since grown from a frightened teen to a goddess of a woman. Suddenly he felt lightheaded.

"Wait…please," he said. He held up his hands to hold hers. He pressed his forehead to hers for a moment and struggled to catch his breath. He didn't want her to think he was pushing her away but he needed to reign in all the emotions that were overwhelming him.

"It's okay Lucius," she said. The smile never faded from her lips and her eyes shone even brighter in the moonlight.

"It's just that, I just don't, I've never felt this. I don't want to ruin it."

"Lucius, come here."

He moved closer, her voice was a balm on her nerves. She placed his large hands around her waist and snuggled close to him, her head on his chest. He rested his cheek on her hair, it smelled of wild flowers and strawberries. It reminded him of days spent as a child running in the fields near the manor. She was an exotic blend of the past, present and future and he found that it was a powerful combination that had him both eager and nervous.

"I'm scared," he said. His voice was strained as he felt warmth spread through his body at the feel of her body so close to him. Her small hands at his back were rubbing small circles, his shirt coming slowly untucked. Her skin on his made him hiss in pleasure. He pulled her closer, his own hands gripped handfuls of her sundress as his mouth searched for her face. He placed small kisses on her check and neck. Her breath caught in her throat as she cooed and whispered all the things she wanted him to do to her. Taking a couple of steps he leaned her against the nearest tree and began to rain kisses on her neck and collarbone her moans of pleasure served to encourage him to continue. He ran his hands down her sides as he pushed his strong body against her. Her leg curled up around his thigh as they both hissed in unison.

Her hands in his long hair encouraged him lower and soon he was on his knees pushing the flower print sundress up her thighs all the while still kissing her body over the material covering her breasts and stomach. She reached her hands down and to help him remove the dress and tossed it off to the side away from them. She stood in only her white knickers adorned with radishes of all things to match her curious sense of style. He stopped and smiled before looking up to her sweet face. She was looking down at him; her eyes were clouded with desire as she cupped his face and ran her fingers over his jaw and lips. He let his tongue dart out and caught her finger in his mouth. He sucked gently and she gasped, writhing again beneath his hands that had gripped the sides of her knickers. Releasing her finger, he kissed up her hand to her wrist where he kissed and licked her delicate skin.

"Lucius…please," she said. Her intention was plain as day as she moved his hands down to help remove the last bit of her clothing. He knelt up and held her to him, his hands around her back, his face buried in the warmth of her breasts. His tongue tasted the unique flavor of her skin, a mixture of desire and craving. Her arms came around his neck and held him to her. He sucked her nipple into his mouth, rolling the small bud with his tongue and teeth. She tasted exquisite. His erection pressed against her legs and he strained to be released. He stood quickly; her moan of protest at the loss of his mouth on her was reassuring as he clumsily undid the placket of his trousers. Letting them fall to the ground her lifted her into his arms. Her skin was soft and her thighs strong as they quickly wrapped around him, her heat momentarily made his weak. Her eyes met his and he stopped, softly she leaned close to him.

"Please Lucius I've wanted you for so long."

"And I you little one."

With one quick thrust he was in her. He froze as he felt it.

"Don't stop Lucius, please."

He couldn't stop now even if he wanted to. Her pleading voice and tight grip was almost too much. He waited, letting her adjust to him and then moved slowly. His hands came around her back, spayed across her shoulders as the tree held her up against him. Turning his back to the tree he pulled her to him harder as she began to move faster, making his thrusts go deeper into her.

She kissed him as they moved faster and harder, the sounds of their pleasure filling the night. With a last thrust they came together. Her body went limp against his as he cradled her to his chest and kissed her hair.

Summoning his trousers he walked back to camp and into their side of the tent. Transfiguring his cot to fit them both he lay her down and followed her soon into sleep.


End file.
